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Ryan Preece wins Truck race in NASCAR's return to Nashville

Ryan Preece made the most of his first start in the NASCAR Truck Series, winning in NASCAR’s return to Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway.

Watch: Guitar hero: Ryan Preece hoists hardware in series return to Nashville

Race winner Ryan Preece, Team DGR, Ford F-150 Hunt Brothers Pizza
Race winner Ryan Preece, Team DGR, Ford F-150 Hunt Brothers Pizza
Race winner Ryan Preece, Team DGR, Ford F-150 Hunt Brothers Pizza
Race winner Ryan Preece, Team DGR, Ford F-150 Hunt Brothers Pizza
Race winner Ryan Preece, Team DGR, Ford F-150 Hunt Brothers Pizza
Race winner Ryan Preece, Team DGR, Ford F-150 Hunt Brothers Pizza

Preece, driving the No. 17 Ford for David Gilliland Racing, passed Grant Enfinger with seven of 150 laps remaining and held off Todd Gilliland to win Friday’s night’s Rackley Roofing 200 – NASCAR’s first race at the track in a decade.

The win is just Preece’s third in NASCAR national series competition. He won Xfinity Series races in 2017 and 2018.

“This truck was just awesome – hats off to this team,” Preece said. “Just great, great (pit) calls all night. This is awesome.

“I knew I was aggressive and I pulled some big blocks but that’s what it took to get here today in Victory Lane. I’m super-proud of everybody with this team and of this opportunity.

“You don’t get them very often, so you have to capitalize.”

Enfinger ended up third, Zane Smith fourth and Stewart Friesen rounded out the top-five.

Completing the top-10 were Matt Crafton, Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski, Austin Hill and John Hunter Nemechek.

Stage 3

Following the break between Stages 2 and 3, most of the lead-lap trucks pit but Enfinger stayed out and inherited the lead.

Johnny Sauter was penalized for speeding on pit road and Tanner Gray was penalized for an uncontrolled tire so both had to restart from the rear of the field.

On the restart on Lap 104, Enfinger was followed by Friesen and Carson Hocevar, who was the first off pit road among those who pit.

Friesen grabbed the lead from Enfinger on the restart and Sauter got spun from Gray to bring out a caution.

On the restart on Lap 109, Friesen was followed by Enfinger, Preece, Hocevar and Parker Kligerman.

Enfinger quickly got around Friesen and reclaimed the lead after the restart only to see Derek Kraus get turned by Josh Berry on Lap 111 to bring out the fifth caution of the race.

The race returned to green on Lap 118 with Enfinger out front followed by Preece and Friesen.

Preece got by Enfinger briefly for the lead on the restart only to see Enfinger grab it right back on Lap 119.

With 20 laps to go, Enfinger held on to a small but stable lead over Preece with Zane Smith in third, more than 2 seconds behind the leader.

With 10 to go, Gilliland had moved into third and into a three-way battle for the lead with Enfinger and Preece.

With seven to go, Preece grabbed the lead back as Enfinger dropped to second.

Stage 2

Chandler Smith held on against a tough challenge from Zane Smith to take the Stage 2 win, his first stage victory of the 2021 season.

Kraus was third, Sauter fourth and Crafton rounded out the top-five.

Following the break between Stages 1 and 2, the lead-lap trucks pit with Chandler Smith the first off pit road.

On the restart on Lap 54, Chandler Smith was followed by Austin Hill, Zane Smith, Jack Wood and Enfinger.

With 25 laps remaining in the stage, Chandler Smith remained out front with Zane Smith less than half a second behind. Enfinger ran third.

On Lap 78, NASCAR displayed a caution for fluid on the track after the No. 27 of William Byron appeared to have blown an engine.

 

Several trucks elected to pit but Chandler Smith remained on the track and in the lead when the race returned to green on Lap 84.

Gilliland and Berry had to restart from the rear of the field – Gilliland for a commitment line violation and Berry for an uncontrolled tire.

With five laps to go, Chandler Smith held a small but stable lead over Zane Smith while Kraus had moved back to third.

Stage 1

Kraus dominated the first stage, leading all 45 laps and cruising to the stage win over Austin Hill – the first stage win of his career.

Chandler Smith was third, Enfinger fourth and Wood completed the top-five.

Kraus started on the pole and led the way early, building up a 1-second lead over Austin Hill after 15 laps.

With 10 laps remaining in the stage, Kraus had opened a 1.6-second lead over Austin Hill while Chandler Smith remained in third.

With five laps to go, Austin Hill had closed his deficit to Kraus to under a second.

Gilliland, Gray and Nemechek all started from the rear of the field – Gilliland and Gray for pre-qualifying inspection failures and Nemechek had his qualifying time disallowed.

Cla # Driver Manufacturer Laps Time Gap Interval Laps Led
1 17 United States Ryan Preece Ford 150 1:44'25.070     8
2 38 United States Todd Gilliland Ford 150 1:44'26.020 0.950 0.950  
3 98 United States Grant Enfinger Ford 150 1:44'27.460 2.390 1.440 39
4 21 Zane Smith Chevrolet 150 1:44'28.143 3.073 0.683  
5 52 United States Stewart Friesen Toyota 150 1:44'29.977 4.907 1.834 5
6 88 United States Matt Crafton Ford 150 1:44'30.617 5.547 0.640  
7 99 United States Ben Rhodes Ford 150 1:44'31.757 6.687 1.140  
8 66 United States Ty Majeski Toyota 150 1:44'32.407 7.337 0.650  
9 16 United States Austin Hill Toyota 150 1:44'32.559 7.489 0.152 2
10 4 United States John Hunter Nemechek Toyota 150 1:44'32.976 7.906 0.417  
11 24 Jack Wood Chevrolet 150 1:44'33.100 8.030 0.124  
12 13 United States Johnny Sauter Ford 150 1:44'35.435 10.365 2.335  
13 18 Chandler Smith Toyota 150 1:44'35.668 10.598 0.233 48
14 2 United States Sheldon Creed Chevrolet 150 1:44'37.976 12.906 2.308  
15 23 United States Chase Purdy Chevrolet 150 1:44'38.294 13.224 0.318  
16 42 Carson Hocevar Chevrolet 150 1:44'38.657 13.587 0.363  
17 75 United States Parker Kligerman Chevrolet 150 1:44'39.186 14.116 0.529  
18 15 United States Tanner Gray Ford 150 1:44'40.167 15.097 0.981  
19 25 Josh Berry Chevrolet 150 1:44'41.179 16.109 1.012  
20 12 Tate Fogleman Chevrolet 150 1:44'46.580 21.510 5.401  
21 1 United States Hailie Deegan Ford 150 1:44'46.785 21.715 0.205  
22 45 United States Ross Chastain Chevrolet 150 1:44'47.117 22.047 0.332  
23 26 United States Tyler Ankrum Chevrolet 150 1:44'47.808 22.738 0.691  
24 51 Dollar Drew Toyota 150 1:44'49.962 24.892 2.154  
25 11 United States Spencer Davis Toyota 150 1:44'50.938 25.868 0.976  
26 40 United States Ryan Truex Chevrolet 150 1:44'51.721 26.651 0.783  
27 22 United States Austin Wayne Self Chevrolet 150 1:44'54.403 29.333 2.682  
28 41 Dawson Cram Chevrolet 150 1:44'54.663 29.593 0.260  
29 56 United States Timmy Hill Chevrolet 150 1:44'56.947 31.877 2.284  
30 30 Danny Bohn Toyota 149 1:44'32.234 1 Lap 1 Lap  
31 04 Cory Roper Ford 148 1:44'25.745 2 Laps 1 Lap  
32 02 United States Kris Wright Chevrolet 148 1:44'31.376 2 Laps 5.631  
33 14 United States Trey Hutchens Chevrolet 146 1:44'55.796 4 Laps 2 Laps  
34 34 Alan Lawless Toyota 142 1:44'42.361 8 Laps 4 Laps  
35 19 United States Derek Kraus Toyota 110 1:18'20.788 40 Laps 32 Laps 48
36 27 United States William Byron Chevrolet 78 48'42.324 72 Laps 32 Laps  

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